Local musician has entertained two presidents

With the blond hair, wire-rimmed glasses, and ever-present smile, Cowboy Brad Fitch's physical resemblance to John Denver is uncanny. When he starts to sing, the comparison between the two becomes undeniable.

Music fans will have a chance to decide for themselves how much Fitch resembles Denver on Thursday at 7 p.m. when the local musician will perform for free at the annual Thursday night concert series sponsored by the Cultural Arts Council of Estes Park. The concert will be in Performance Park at 417 West Elkhorn Avenue, weather permitting.

Growing up in Estes Park, Fitch said he always looked like Denver long before he began playing tribute concerts of his musical icon. While looking like the famous singer, who died in a plane crash in 1997, may have contributed to Fitch's early inclination to cover Denver's tunes, the local singer only grew to admire Denver the more he learned.

Cowboy Brad Fitch got his start in Estes Park, where he's performed for decades. (Courtesy photo)

"I always looked like him growing up," Fitch said. "[But] the more I learned about him and what he stood for, the more I admired him and wanted to learn more of his songs. I am honored to be among the hundreds of John Denver tribute artists worldwide."

Early Start

Fitch's first professional gig happened in Estes Park. He and his sister played at a local wedding and buoyed by the success of that first appearance, Fitch was hired at the age of 16 to play at a local restaurant called The Mustard Seed (now The Wapiti Colorado Pub).

"That year I also formed a band with my friends called Fitch and Chips, and we were the house band at the Old Gaslight Pub in Estes Park," Fitch said.

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A fan of western television shows, Fitch said the music to those old TV programs inspired him as much as the music of Tom Justin and the Lazy B Wranglers, James Taylor, and, of course, Denver.

Fitch's true musical roots are revealed the most when asked what three musician of all time he would prefer to have dinner with if it were magically possible. Mozart? Louis Armstrong? Nope.

After learning to play the piano when he was 6, Fitch switched from string instruments to brass, learning to play the trombone in the fourth grade. By age 13, he was playing the guitar, which led him to learn how to play the banjo, ukulele, bass, mandolin, and hand drums. Though he can play eight instruments, Fitch said his favorite is still the versatile guitar.

Presidents in the audience

Embracing his guitar skills, Fitch has carved out a healthy recording career. With 19 albums of original music under his belt, Fitch is far from finished with recording albums. He has three albums of new music in the works and plans to keep recording long after those are published.

"This well doesn't run dry, thank goodness," Fitch said. "I continue to write and probably have enough songs I like to make several more albums."

Though Fitch is roughly half the way to recording the number of albums that Denver did (47 according to Denver's official site), the local musician can claim a few things that Denver never accomplished. Fitch has played live for two presidents in attendance: Pres. George W. Bush in 2001 and in 2008 he played in front of Barack Obama at the Democratic National Convention in Denver.

"Though he wasn't president yet, [Obama] heard me play," Fitch said. "When George W. Bush visited Estes Park in summer, 2001, I performed at the barbeque picnic he attended at the YMCA of the Rockies and got to meet him."

Despite having the opportunity to perform in front of impressive audiences and at a wide variety of venues, Fitch's favorite place to play is no real surprise considering he works as a ranger in Rocky Mountain National Park.

"I would say that among the most memorable [venues] are Red Rocks Park in Morrison," Fitch said.

Entering his ninth year working at RMNP, Fitch's work duties cover the gamut.

"I work as part of the Wilderness Branch of the Resource Protection and Visitor Management Division," Fitch said. "My job involves staffing trailhead ranger stations, issuing wilderness camping permits, patrolling the backcountry, inspecting wilderness campsites, checking permits, serving as part of the park's search and rescue team, educating visitors about the park and backcountry use and preventative search and rescue."

Fitch performs live nearly 300 times per year and fans can keep up with all of his tour dates at www.CowboyBrad.com. Fans can also learn about his new albums on his Facebook page, Cowboy Brad Fitch.

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